Palworld CEO Takuro Mizobe revealed that their animation developer is a self-taught hobbyist whom he discovered on Twitter (X). The developer was said to work on Palworld's guns, motion and composition, and Unreal Engine scripting, among others.
Palworld Hired Talented Generalist to Develop Multiple Facets of the Game
Developer a Self-Taught Hobbyist
Palworld CEO Takuro Mizobe stated in a blog post that they found their animation developer on Twitter (X). Mizobe explained that he came across the animation developer's Twitter (X) thread showcasing gun reload animation clips, prompting him to reach out to the individual via the social media platform.
Mizobe shared, "Narrowing down the topic to guns, I searched extensively on Twitter. Then, I found an unusual account." Mizobe stated that he wanted someone who exhibited particular interests, and not just in guns. He deemed Palworld’s eventual-developer as someone who is ‘built different’ and needed them on the team.
Mizobe later on discovered through their conversations that the animation developer was a part-time employee at a convenience store, pursuing animation as a hobby. The scouted talent was self-taught and, interestingly, an avid player of first-person shooter (FPS) games.
Due to the circumstances in Japan's gaming scene, Mizobe said it was difficult to hire experienced people who have created gun games in Japan. Likewise, they had no one on the team who had a strong inclination to guns in the first place, said Mizobe.
Palworld initially signed a business outsourcing contract with the developer. Mizobe wrote, "We entered into a business outsourcing contract and worked together remotely for about a month, but even though he had no experience in the industry and had never even touched UE4, he was a quick learner."
Mizobe Ended Up Asking The Developer for "Everything"
From then on, the company signed him full-time. "Soon, there was talk within the company that they wanted him to work full-time." The developer’s talent went beyond gun animation, said Mizobe. The developer went on to contribute to motion, artmaking, camera work, and sound production, on top of gun adjustments.
"Perhaps because he makes his own videos, he was also very good at adjusting the sound effects. Best of all, he works fast. He is quick at using tools and will complete any request in the quickest way. When it came to character motion, he also did everything on his own, including the logic construction part called [Blueprint Visual Scripting system] used in Unreal Engine, which is almost programming."
Mizobe further shared, "At first, I was only going to ask them to adjust the gun, but I ended up asking them for everything. In small companies, it is really important to have generalists who can do everything rather than specialists."
Source:
Takuro Mizobe's blog post: A coincidental story called Palworld, where your fate will be decided in 3 days.
Palworld struggled to find a dev with shooter experience in Japan before stumbling on a self-taught hobbyist who worked at a convenience store
